Deacon Gregory Smyrni

Deacon Gregory Smyrni is a clergyman in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. He works at Saint Thomas Orthodox Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas, a western rite parish.

Information about Smyrni’s March 26th ordination can be found on page 26 of the Pentecost, 2018, issue of “The Wonderworker.” A PDF file of the publication is linked above.

In 2013 Smyrni was a student at Holy Cross Theological Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was a married seminarian with six children of his own.

According to the National Herald, Smyrni was expelled from the seminary on April 27, 2012, following accusations that he had sexually abused the eighteen year old daughter of a Greek priest. The teenager had been hired by Smyrni to babysit his younger children. The Herald also reported that Smyrni was giving drugs to the girl and that at some point she was hospitalized with an overdose.

A copy of the “Confidential Memorandum, ” a letter was sent to the entire Hellenic College/Holy Cross community regarding Smyrni’s expulsion, is linked above.

In addition, the Greek paper said that the Smyrni had a history of drug abuse before his admission to the seminary. He and his wife lost custody of their children for at least seven months when the wife tested positive for drugs after giving birth to their youngest child.

Smyrni attended Saint Anna Greek Orthodox Church in Roseville, California, prior to enrolling in the seminary.